1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to inflatable structures, and more particularly, to inflatable mattresses and other similar inflatable structure or furniture, which are easily inflated and deflated by using air pumps.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Air mattresses have enjoyed wide popularity for a number of reasons. When not in use, the air mattress is capable of being deflated to a substantially two-dimensional geometry which can be folded compactly and stored and transported quite easily. When inflated, air mattresses provide the user with a generally high level of comfort as the user is literally supported upon a cushion of air isolating the user from what would be an otherwise uncomfortable sleeping surface such as natural terrain encountered on a typical camping excursion.
Conventional inflatable air mattresses are available in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. Air mattresses are used in the health care industry, for example, as a patient mover or stretcher, or as a therapeutic mattress. More commonly, inflatable air mattresses are used in residential and recreational applications as a convenient spare bed in the home, or at the beach or camp site.
Although air mattresses are relatively inexpensive and enjoy those advantages recited above, such products are not universally embraced by the consuming public and they rarely are seen as suitable replacements for more conventional bedding. One of the primary reasons for this lack of universal acceptance is that air mattresses, at least to date, have not provided the user with a generally level, comfortable and firm sleeping surface. Conventional air mattresses tend to exhibit a characteristic xe2x80x9cgivexe2x80x9d where the user""s body causes redistribution of air within the mattress resulting in areas of xe2x80x9cbulgexe2x80x9d surrounding the user""s body.
Attempts have been made to address this perceived shortcoming in several different ways. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,429 discloses an inflatable mattress by locating a plurality of inflatable beams, columns or chambers within an outer inflatable chamber. Each beam is separately inflatable with its own inflation valve to provide inflated substructures within an overall air mattress geometry. Although conceptually the configuration shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,705,429 is of interest, in practice, it provides only modest improvement over mattresses without such expedients and, noting that each beam is separately inflatable, the task of inflating the mattress and each individual beam can prove daunting for many users. In addition, each beam represents a separate area of potential leakage so that its use is not as practical as one might hope.
Conventional ventilating mattresses are often formed with a plurality of inflatable mattress sections (e.g., a head section, a torso section, and a leg section) which may be inflated to different pressures. Such mattresses generally have tubes or conduits extending from a source of pressurized air to the mattress sections.
A disadvantage of conventional ventilating mattresses is that they are generally relatively expensive to make because a plurality of sections or chambers are connected together.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an inflatable mattress that can be easily and inexpensively manufactured while maintaining the integrity of its shape and comfort of multichamber mattress.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an inflatable mattress that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable mattress which characteristically creates a generally level, comfortable and firm sleeping surface while not being overly complex to produce and maintain.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable mattress with a sense of firmness and stability characteristic of traditional bedding.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an inflatable mattress that is easily and quickly inflated and deflated, and able to be stored conveniently.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable mattress that is aesthetically pleasing, secure, and comfortable to use.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, an inflatable mattress comprises a bottom layer; a top layer sealed to the bottom layer through a wall, wherein the bottom and top layers and the wall define an outer frame of the mattress; and a middle layer disposed between the top and bottom layers. A bottom surface of the middle layer is attached to the bottom layer through a plurality of first sealing structures to form a first chamber. A top surface is attached to the top layer through a plurality of second sealing structures to form a second chamber.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the first sealing structures are I-beam structures, and the second sealing structures are X-beam structures. The I-beam structures are equally spaced from each other and latitudinally disposed between the middle and the bottom layers. Preferably, a peripheral edge of the middle layer is sealed against an inner surface of the wall. As a result, the first and the second chambers are not in fluid communication with each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the peripheral edge of the middle layer is at least partially or entirely detached from the wall. As a result, the first and the chambers are in fluid communication with each other.
According to another aspect of the invention, an inflatable assembly comprises an inflatable upper chamber defined by a top layer and a middle layer attached to each other through a plurality of X-beam sealing structures; and an inflatable lower chamber disposed adjacent to the upper chamber and defined by a bottom layer and the middle layer. The upper and lower chambers are separated by the middle layer. The middle and the bottom layers are attached to each other through a plurality of I-beam sealing structures.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide a further explanation of the invention as claimed.